The Place Where Nothing Hurts
by perihelion
Summary: After a devastating break-up, Bella relies on her friends and family to help her realize how beautiful and precious she really is. AH/OOC.


**Thanks to Bella_Barbaric and pastiche. lethe from PTB for editing. **

_And you say that I'm gonna be okay.  
And yeah, I'm gonna be okay.  
But it doesn't seem that way.  
No love, not today.  
_~ Eisley - Ambulance

He said, "I'm sorry, Bella," like maybe an apology would make it hurt less, like maybe it would soften the blow, if he really sounded contrite about it. He didn't try to make it sound like an accident; like maybe somehow they tripped over each other's feet and he just ended up inside her, which meant it hadn't only been one time. She wished he had said that _she_ didn't matter, because he loved Bella, that he was so in love with her it hurt. That was how she felt about him and she would have taken him back in a heartbeat, if he'd have said that.

Instead he said, "I really, truly love her, Bella. I think she's my soul mate. It's like we were made for each other."

Bella used to think _they_ were made for each other. She remembered the boy who kissed her skinned knees on the playground to get her to stop crying, who gave her the same homemade Valentine's Day cards every year – though the messages changed as they got older, as their relationship changed. She remembered her first kiss – hidden in the shadows of her porch, away from the prying eyes of her gun-wielding Chief of Police father and overprotective older brother. The first time they made love…

He promised her forever. When she thought of their forever, she wanted to tell him about all the dark-skinned, brown-haired babies she used to imagine them having together. How perfect they would be, how loved.

He said, "I'm going to be a father, Bella."

But he would never be the father of her babies. And that broke her heart.

* * *

She felt the cool glass against her lips – a contrast to the slow burn of the alcohol as it slid down her throat. Slamming the shot glass down on the wooden countertop, she leaned heavily against the bar.

"How many has that been, Bells?" Emmett rumbled, his gaze disapproving as he wiped down the bar and stole away the glass.

"None of your business," she snapped. "Just give me another one."

Emmett shook his head sadly, ruffling her hair slightly. "Sorry, kiddo, I'm cutting you off. Al's on her way to come get you."

"What the hell, Emmett! Since when did you become my conscience?" she sneered.

"Since you seem to have killed yours with alcohol poisoning."

Bella sighed when she felt the small, delicate hand on her shoulder. She didn't have to turn around to know that Alice was standing there with a look of pity in her eyes. She shook out of Alice's grip and stumbled a bit as she stood from the stool where she had been sitting for the last three hours. Large hands grabbed her forearms to steady her. Jasper. Of course Alice just had to bring him to help carry his drunk little sister home.

"I can walk myself," she slurred, trying to wiggle out of Jasper's firm grasp.

She heard Jasper snort and then her head was swimming even more as she felt herself being lifted. "Humor me. Let me carry you," Jasper murmured, kissing the crown of her head.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her lips trembled and her vision blurred as she clung to Jasper's tee shirt. "I'm sorry," she cried, dripping hot, wet tears down his neck.

Jasper's grip tightened around her. "I know, baby girl."

Bella could hear Alice saying goodbye to Emmett and thanking him for calling her. She heard the _click, click, click_ of Alice's heels against the hardwood floor and then felt the cool, summer breeze dance across her skin as Alice opened the bar door, a harsh relief from her overheated skin. Her hair stuck to her neck from her sweat and tears and she shifted uncomfortably in Jasper's arms, her breath stuttering out of her mouth.

Jasper placed her carefully in the backseat of his car and Alice slid in next to her, lifting Bella's head to place it in her lap. Jasper slipped into the driver's seat and as he turned the key in the ignition, he looked at his two favorite girls in the rearview mirror and shared a sad glance with Alice. Bella squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling out from beneath her eyelids, trying to block out everyone's concern for her well-being. Alice ran tiny fingers through her sweaty, tangled hair. Bella knew she was probably getting snot all over Alice's designer jeans, but she didn't care. Her head felt heavy, but as Jasper pulled away from the bar, Bella's heart felt heavier.

* * *

Bella woke the next morning to find her blinds drawn, a glass of water and two tablets of aspirin on her bedside table. She grimaced as she pulled herself into a sitting position, dry-swallowing the pills and then quickly grabbing the water as the pills got stuck in her throat. She groaned and flopped back on the bed, wishing for the throbbing beat behind her eyes to cease.

"Don't you think you should have learned your lesson by now?" came the tinkling voice of her best friend.

"Save the lecture, Al," Bella mumbled, turning her back to the door and curling up under her comforter. "Or I'll regret ever giving you a key to my apartment."

The comforter lifted and she felt the mattress shift as Alice climbed into bed with her, wrapping her arms around Bella's petite frame.

"I'm not trying to lecture you, Bella." Alice sighed. "We're just worried about this destructive warpath you've taken yourself down."

"I'm _fine._"

"Yeah, you're really fine, Bella, when one of your best friends calls your other best friend to say that you're getting completely, utterly smashed at his bar…for the seventh weekend in a row. _After_ spending two straight weeks crying in bed. You're lucky _I'm_ the one talking to you and not your big brother. I had to bribe him into letting me talk to you first."

Bella groaned. "I really don't want to know what your idea of a bribe is when it concerns my brother."

Alice smirked but then frowned as she brushed Bella's hair from her eyes. "Your liver is going to give out on you, the way you're making your way through Emmett's inventory of alcohol."

"Maybe I need to find another bar," Bella deadpanned.

"Bella, seriously," Alice was pleading with her now. "We're worried about you. We know your breakup with Jacob wrecked you, but do you really think you need to drown your sorrows with alcohol?" She tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. "How cliché of you."

"Our whole relationship was a cliché," Bella huffed, and then threw her arm around Alice, snuggling closer. "I'm sorry, Al. I just…" she swallowed hard and tried to stop herself from crying. "Jesus, I can't even think about it without wanting to cry. I really thought Jacob was 'the one', Alice. I don't…how do you go on from that?"

This time Alice's smile was genuine. She squeezed Bella tightly around the middle and said, "With a little help from your friends." She paused for a moment and then amended, "Maybe a lot of help. You'll be okay."

* * *

Alice's idea of helping her began on Monday when she made Bella her favorite breakfast of Belgian waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. While Bella was eating, Alice went and picked out an outfit for her to wear to work.

Bella owned her own small, cozy bookstore in downtown Seattle. She had double majored in business management and English so she figured she would put her two majors together and open her own business. She struggled for years financially, barely being able to pay Angela, the high school student she hired to help stock books when she first opened. People preferred the big corporate names to small unknowns. But business soon began to pick up as she gained regular customers and word of mouth helped keep her afloat. Bella felt bad that Angela – now on summer break after her first year of college – had to run the bookstore on her own for two weeks and then every weekend for seven weeks after that while Bella spent her nights trying to forget Jacob Black ever existed. She made a note to give Angela a raise.

"Thanks for breakfast, Al," Bella said as she placed her plate in the sink, kissing Alice's spiky hair.

"Not the hair!" Alice shrieked, swatting Bella away. "Go shower. I left an outfit for you on your bed. You will feel fab-u-_lous_!" she proclaimed.

Bella glanced quickly at the supposed fabulous outfit as she made her way to the bathroom and was relieved to see that Alice wasn't trying to put her into some outrageously inappropriate outfit to work in a bookstore. She definitely was not in the mood to fulfill any man's sexy librarian fantasy.

Stepping into the shower, Bella allowed the hot water to help relax her tense muscles. Mondays were always tough for her, especially after the break-up. It was hard to start the work week when all she wanted to do was sleep all day and spend some quality time with her newly acquired best friends, Ben and Jerry.

She was surprised that she hadn't gained much weight considering how much ice cream she had been eating and how much booze she had been consuming, but then she remembered how little else she ate during the day. The last thing she needed was to get fat, especially considering how ugly and unwanted she felt after Jacob's infidelity. If her childhood sweetheart didn't even want to be with her anymore, what chance did she have that anyone else would? It was this thought she woke up with every day, which made getting out of bed a struggle.

She turned the shower off and grabbed a towel, covering her body before stepping into the cool bathroom. Goosebumps broke out on her pale, unblemished skin. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Bella wondered what it was about her that drew Jacob to her in the first place. She didn't think there was anything special about her. In high school she had always been too pale, too skinny, and too flat-chested. Not a lot had changed since she graduated college; she had a bit more curves now, finally filling into a feminine body. But everything about her screamed _ordinary_.

Did Jacob date her merely out of convenience because they grew up together, because their fathers were best friends? She briefly wondered what Jacob's new girlfriend looked like, if she was more beautiful than Bella could ever hope to be. What made him want to be with her more?

Alice's sharp knock interrupted Bella's unwanted train of thought. In the mirror, Bella saw Alice poke her head into the bathroom and give Bella a timid smile.

"Okay in here?"

Bella sighed and walked out of the bathroom. "As okay as I can be," she answered honestly, sitting on her bed. She glanced at the clock and realized she'd be late if she didn't get her ass in gear. Without waiting for a response from Alice, Bella got up and pulled out a pair of panties, yanking them on under her towel.

"Want to talk about it?" Alice asked, and as Bella turned, slipping on a bra, she noticed the other girl had taken her seat on the bed.

"I was just wondering what Jacob ever saw in me."

She figured she might as well start talking about the dark thoughts that plagued her waking mind, maybe it would start making things easier to deal with.

As expected, Alice growled and stalking towards Bella, she ripped off the towel and shoved Bella in front of her full-length mirror. "Seriously, Bella? You're going down that road, are you? Look at you! You're gorgeous. I would kill for your curves. And your skin is to die for."

But all Bella saw was average: average height, average weight, and average breasts. Shrugging, she side-stepped Alice and dressed herself.

"So then why couldn't he love me instead?" she finally cried collapsing on her bed. Alice sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"He's an idiot, that's why," Jasper drawled from her doorway. Bella stumbled to her feet and threw herself at Jasper. Wrapped up in her big brother's arms, Bella always felt safe, loved. He smiled down at her tenderly. Bella felt her heart swell. When Jasper had found out that Jacob cheated on Bella and impregnated another woman, he tracked Jacob down and gave him a black eye and a broken nose. Bella hoped his physical injuries had hurt as much as her emotional ones.

"C'mon, baby girl, put a smile on that pretty face of yours. How about you get some coffee with your favorite brother before I drop you off at work?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "You're my only brother, Jas."

Figuring her face was a wreck, Bella decided to forego applying any makeup. So she slipped on a pair of black pumps and followed Jasper through her small apartment.

"That's why you love me," he replied.

Bella hummed her assent. Locking up, she turned to face her brother and his girlfriend, and she smiled her first real smile in seven weeks. "I love both of you." They beamed in response.

* * *

Armed with her morning coffee, Bella fumbled with her keys for a moment before finding the right one and slipping it into the lock. She inhaled deeply as she took her first step into her shop, reveling in her favorite smell of ink and parchment. She flipped the 'closed' sign to 'open' and while she waited for her first customers, went through the inventory list Angela had done over the weekend and reviewed their sales.

She glanced up when she heard the bell above the door ring and waved to Mrs. Peterson, an eighty-year-old widow who was a Monday morning regular. She always purchased one romance novel every week. A few more regular customers came in throughout the morning. Some just stopped by to say hello, others made some small purchases. The morning wasn't too busy – just enough business to keep Bella's thoughts away from Jacob and why she tried to erase her memories of him by getting hammered every weekend.

A little after noon, Bella decided to take her lunch. Angela would be in around one o'clock to help with the afternoon rush. As she took a bite of her sandwich, the bell dinged and Bella almost choked when she saw the man who walked in. Tall and lean with reddish-brown hair and a thin layer of stubble along his jaw, Bella was briefly mesmerized by his beauty and shocked at how instantly attracted she was to him. Then the man turned towards the front desk, obviously startled by her cough. He looked at her curiously before his face broke out into a dazzling smile. Bella gasped when ogling turned to recognition.

"Bella Swan?" he exclaimed, making his way towards her counter. Bella discreetly swept away the crumbs from her sandwich and stepped around the counter to give the man a hug.

"Edward Cullen! What brings you back to Washington?" Bella asked excitedly, pulling away to look up at his face. "Last I heard you were graduating from med school and going to be some hotshot doctor in Chicago. Emmett didn't tell me you were going to be back in town!" She frowned, thinking of her other best friend. Maybe he hadn't told her because the only times she'd seen him recently were when she was demanding another shot of vodka or tequila.

Emmett Cullen was two years older than Bella. He was the same age as Jasper, and the two had been best friends since they were toddlers. Edward was a year younger than Jasper and Emmett. They all grew up together in the small town of Forks, a few hours outside of Seattle. Edward had always been the quiet, reserved Cullen brother whereas Emmett was loud and boisterous. He had been fairly popular in high school, playing varsity football and baseball alongside his brother but whenever Emmett hung out at the Swan house with Jasper - and Bella, by association - Edward preferred to spend his time at home, studying to get into a good college and from there, medical school. Edward had always dreamed of being a doctor like his father, and Bella had been so proud to hear from Emmett when Edward had been accepted to the University of Chicago's medical school. He was the only one who had ventured out of Washington for college. The rest chose to go to school in Seattle where they all ended up living after graduating with their degrees.

Edward blushed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I'm just in town visiting the family for a week," he admitted. "It's Emmalie's birthday."

"That's right," Bella nodded, remembering the birthday party she was invited to on Saturday. Bella had told Rosalie, Emmett's wife, that she would help with their five-year-old daughter's birthday party, if only to keep Rosalie from going insane taking care of ten five-year-old girls. Alice had been in charge of buying the decorations and Bella could only assume that Rosalie and Emmett's house was going to look like something pink threw up in it. "I'm helping chaperone."

Edward grimaced. "Good luck with that."

Bella laughed and she stopped just as suddenly as she had started, realizing how foreign the sound had been. Edward looked at her curiously but didn't say anything. He shuffled nervously and gave her a shy grin.

"Emmett mentioned that you owned a bookstore, but he hadn't given me a name. What are the odds that I just happened to step into yours?"

"Must be fate," Bella mused.

"Must be," Edward agreed. A strange flicker of emotion crossed his face but it was gone before Bella could even recognize it. "So what have you been up to besides opening up this place? You and Jacob married and popping out babies yet?" he asked.

Bella's heart clenched painfully at the casualness of the question, and she cursed herself for being so weak when tears welled up in her eyes. Emmett must not have told Edward about what happened a couple of months ago. Edward's grin slipped and he looked at her in concern, reaching a hand out to rest on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I just thought you guys had been so happy…" he trailed off, an awkward silence hanging between them.

Bella brushed her hand across her cheeks quickly, wiping away any moisture. "You didn't know," she said, her voice cracking. "I should be over it, anyway. This is ridiculous." She chuckled humorlessly.

Edward looked at her in surprise. "What? Bella, you and Jacob had been together for practically _ever_. I don't know how long you've been broken up, but you don't forget your first love that easily."

"I thought he was going to be my only love," Bella lamented. "It's been two months…" She shrugged. "Everyone else seems to think I've had enough time to grieve my broken relationship."

Bella felt a strange sort of comfort from the weight of Edward's hand on her shoulder, and he gave her shoulder a tentative squeeze. "Screw what everyone else thinks. You do things your own way at your own pace."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes and gave him a brief but honest smile. Edward laughed nervously.

"Thanks, Edward," she replied, appreciatively. "So," she said, changing the subject, "what brings you into my little corner of heaven?"

"Ah, Rosalie was telling me about a series that she's been reading to Emmalie before bed and I heard the newest book had just come out recently. I was wondering if you had it in stock. I'm not quite sure I remember the name of it. I know it has something to do with unicorns and a fairy princess?" Edward looked uncomfortable and Bella had to smile.

"I know exactly what you're talking about," she said quickly, trying to ease his embarrassment at being caught talking about such girly things.

Edward look relieved. "Great! If you could just show me where to find it…"

Bella nodded and led Edward towards the room where the children's section was located. This was her pride and joy, and Emmalie loved coming here on Sunday afternoons when Angela put on a story-time for the local children. The walls were painted with scenes from her favorite childhood stories – knights and princesses and fairy-tale castles lined the walls between bookshelves. Bright, plush chairs were scattered around the room.

"This is fantastic," Edward exclaimed, looking around at the murals on the wall. "I bet the kids love coming here."

Bella blushed. "They do," she enthused. "I just…I always loved reading, even now, but when I was a kid I could get lost in my favorite stories. I wanted to give the children the same opportunities I had to fall in love with reading."

Edward smiled at her, tender and soft, and Bella was surprised at how her heart fluttered. She looked away. "I love listening to you talk about books. You can tell how passionate you are."

"Um, here's the book you wanted to get for Emmalie," Bella said quickly, grabbing it from the Recently Released bookshelf. Edward looked briefly disappointed but he took the book from her and nodded his thanks.

"Do you have any other suggestions of books I could buy for Emmalie's age range?"

Eager to have something to do besides stare into Edward's piercing green eyes and suddenly aware of her growing attraction for this man she hadn't seen in years, Bella threaded her way through the towering bookshelves, pulling off a few random books she knew kids loved.

She handed them to Edward who looked carefully at the covers and seemed satisfied with her choices. She led Edward to the register where she checked him out…his purchases, that is.

"Thanks so much for your help, Bella. I hope I didn't take away _your_ present to Emmalie, seeing as you own a bookshop?" he teased with a grin.

Bella shook her head. "I'm actually going to take her to the zoo this week as an early birthday present. We're going to have an Auntie Bella-and-Emmalie day. Maybe even get a manicure and pedicure."

Edward snorted. "You get a manicure and pedicure? Do you even have nails for that? I remember you used to chew them down to stubs in high school."

"Hey! I'll have you know I take very good care of my nails." Edward grabbed her hands to look at the evidence for himself. "If only because Alice threatens to rip my teeth out if I keep chewing on them," she admitted sheepishly.

Edward laughed heartily and Bella found herself grinning in response. She hadn't smiled or laughed this much in weeks and if she was being honest with herself, it felt great to not feel so heartsick.

"You're really pretty when you smile, Bella," Edward said suddenly, and Bella was suddenly hyperaware of the feel of his larger hands encasing hers. She could feel the heat of her blush making its way up her neck. "You should do it more often."

"I'll try," she responded honestly. But she yanked her hands from his when the bell dinged and she saw Angela walking in for her shift. She tried to ignore the look of hurt that flashed across Edward's face but she felt an ache in her chest for putting it there in the first place.

"Hey, Ang," she greeted, as she ripped Edward's receipt from the printer and stuffed it in his bag.

"Hi, boss," Angela replied, looking at Edward curiously.

Edward nodded his head in greeting and took the bag from Bella's outstretched hand. "Thanks," he said again. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"I'll definitely see you at Emmett's on Saturday," she offered, but delighted in the fact that maybe he had wanted to see her before then.

He frowned before saying, "See you," waving as he left.

Angela grabbed Bella's arm as soon as the door shut. "Who was _that?_" she gushed, demanding details from Bella.

Bella shrugged. "Just an old friend from high school. He's back visiting family."

Angela giggled. "He definitely did not look at you like you were a friend. Girl, why don't you get on that?"

"You know why," Bella muttered darkly.

"Oh, come on, Bella! It's been two months. Jacob's obviously moved on," Angela said with disgust.

"He may have been able to dismiss our relationship so easily, but I can't," Bella argued. "I invested so much time and energy into that relationship…it's hard to remember what it's like to feel attracted to someone else."

Angela sighed dreamily. "If there was any man I think you deserved after the way that jackass left you, it's him. He seemed to be so dazzled by you."

"Him, dazzled by me?" Bella scoffed. "Please. Do you need a new prescription for your glasses?"

"Don't tell me you didn't see the way his eyes smoldered when he looked at you biting your lip before he left! He wanted to rip your clothes off and have his way with you right on this counter!" Angela squealed.

Bella shook her head. "I think you should stop reading so many romance novels. You'll give Mrs. Peterson a run for her money."

Both girls broke out into a fit of giggles, but Bella couldn't help but think about what Angela had said. Could it have been possible that the instantaneous attraction she felt for Edward was mutual?

* * *

Emmett was leaning against the wall outside, waiting for her to close up the shop. Bella instantly felt bad for how she had been treating him. Shoving her keys into jeans pocket, she threw her arms around Emmett's neck and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. She felt his hands, large and steady against her back, and felt relieved at how much of a constant Emmett was.

"I know it's been hard, Bells. Jacob's an asshole for what he did to you. But I know you, little B, you're tough. You'll pull out of this. You need to. Otherwise you're going to put me out of a business if you keep drinking all my booze," he joked, ruffling her hair. She smacked his hands away and he laughed.

"So, what's this about?" she asked, questioning why he was waiting for her outside her shop. "Part of Alice's plan?"

"Hells yeah!" Emmett boomed. "You and me, we're going to go have some fun!"

Bella looped her arm around Emmett's. "What did you have planned?"

Ten minutes later, Bella found herself in a booth across from Emmett at Charlie's – her favorite burger joint in Seattle. She always thought fondly of her father when she ate here because he shared his name with the restaurant.

"Hey! You didn't tell me Edward was in town!" Bella said, after munching on some fries, punctuating the silence that had before only been interrupted by Emmett's grunting and moaning over the best burger_ ever._

Emmett wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a sip of his Coke before replying. "You've been a bit preoccupied, Bells. I didn't want to bring it up."

Bella scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "Why?"

"I don't know. You've been in a pretty bad place. I didn't think there was ever a good time to tell you."

Another mention of how bad she'd been after the break-up made Bella feel even worse. She apologized again but Emmett waved her off. "I get it, Bells, I do. If Rosalie ever left me, or if I found out she was pregnant by some other man, I would have no idea how to go on with my life. But…can I be honest with you?"

Bella looked surprised at the seriousness in Emmett's tone. He was usually the one she could count on for an inappropriate comment or a stupid joke. "Of course you can, Em."

Emmett paused, chewing slowly on a fry, as if trying to collect his thoughts. "Look, I've obviously watched you grow up. I've watched you fall in love with that stupid mutt and I saw how happy you were. But, I really think that your happiness with the relationship was more out of comfort than anything else. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Not really. I was wondering earlier why Jacob would even bother dating me and I thought maybe it was out of convenience. Did you mean like that?"

"Okay, first, Jacob would have been an idiot to _not_ date you. You're intelligent, funny and beautiful, Bells. And don't argue with me," he said sternly. "Secondly, I'm not saying that either of you got together just for the sake of being together because it's what everyone expected. But that maybe you stayed with him because it was comfortable, because it was all you had ever known. You've never even kissed another guy, Bella. How do you _really_ know that Jacob was 'the one' for you without…testing the waters, so to speak?"

Emmett made a good point, and it wasn't the first time that she had heard those words of advice either. But it had been hard growing up without a mother. Renee had abandoned the Swan family when Bella was only two, so she was raised by men. It's not like she could have talked to Charlie about her relationship with his best friend's son. Jasper had always been concerned that Bella should try dating other people, but she thought he was just worried that they were taking things too seriously or too fast. Maybe they did. Maybe she was too blinded by her first true love that she didn't see how much of a disaster it was until it was too late. Until she was hurt too badly.

Bella realized she had been silently contemplating Emmett's words for a long time when Emmett finally asked, "You okay there, Bells?"

"Yeah, just thinking about what you've said. Since when did you get so smart, Emmett?" she teased.

Emmett grinned, all white teeth and dimple-cheeked. "Don't be such a wise-ass, little B. You're just jealous, that's all."

Bella giggled and Emmett ruffled her hair. "C'mon, you almost done eating? I'm not done with you yet!"

Bella looked down at her plate and nodded. Emmett waved the waitress over to get their check. "What? Wait!" Bella shouted as Emmett slide some cash into the black leather bill folder. "I can pay for my own meal, Em!"

"Tonight's all on me, baby!" Emmett exclaimed, slipping out of his side of the booth and pulling Bella along.

"What's next?" Bella asked, curiously.

"You'll see," Emmett sing-songed.

"Seriously?" Bella laughed when they pulled up to their next destination.

"Oh yes, little B. I'm gonna enjoy thoroughly kicking your ass."

Two hours later, Bella was laughing, clutching her stomach as she leaned on her golf club for support. "You're gonna kick my ass, Em?"

Emmett frowned. "You're cheating," he declared, pointing his club in her direction. "There's no way you could get that many hole-in-ones."

"You're just jealous," Bella laughed, "because you couldn't get your ball through the dragon."

"That dragon _ate_ my ball, Bells. It wasn't my fault."

"And the pond just happened to get in your way on the next hole?"

Emmett nodded seriously. "It came out of nowhere!"

Bella just shook her head in mock disgust and punched Emmett good-naturedly as they exited the mini-golf facility. Emmett grabbed her in a headlock and she shouted before elbowing him in the stomach. Emmett groaned and then shoved her away.

"Did you have a good time, Bells?" he asked.

Bella wrapped her arms around his middle as they walked to his car. "The best. Thanks."

* * *

Tuesday morning, Bella woke up with a smile on her face for the first time in weeks. She hummed to herself as she ate breakfast, showered and then dressed. She opened her apartment door but wasn't surprised to find Jasper waiting outside for her.

"Hello my favorite brother!" Bella greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

Jasper looked thrilled at her good mood. "I'm your only brother," he teased back. "Good morning?"

"I had a good night with Emmett. We ate dinner at Charlie's and played mini-golf. He made me realize some things." She shrugged casually as they made their way down the stairs and outside to walk the four blocks to the café they frequented.

"Yeah?" Jasper queried.

"He just said that maybe I was happy with my relationship with Jacob because it was something that I was used to. Because Jacob was the only boy I had ever been with…"

"Isn't that what I had been telling you for years?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't really want to listen to my big brother. I mean…it still hurts like hell that Jacob left me like that. It makes me feel like I'm not worth it, but I guess…Alice's plan is working pretty well," she admitted. "I haven't spent much time with you guys and just had fun. I've missed it. And I realize that there are other people who love me, and maybe one day I can find someone even better than Jacob ever was."

Jasper pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Baby girl, you _will_ find someone better than that moron, and he will treat you like his world revolves around you. Then you'll finally understand what it means to be truly loved."

Bella looked up at her big brother, hurt. "Do you think that I didn't truly love Jacob? That my feelings weren't strong enough? Do you think that's why he left me?"

Jasper threw his hands up. "Whoa there, baby girl, that is _not_ what I meant at all." He pulled open the door to the café and Bella inhaled the smell of brewing coffee greedily. "I just meant that maybe Jacob didn't love you as much as you loved him. You deserve to get as much as you give, that's all. I never thought that your relationship was that of equals. You always gave too much, and Jacob was selfish."

"I guess so," Bella admitted, before ordering her coffee to go.

The pair walked in companionable silence another two blocks to Bella's bookshop. "Did I tell you who stopped in at my shop yesterday?" Bella asked as she unlocked the front door.

"Who?"

"Edward!"

Jasper grinned. "Oh yeah? Emmett mentioned he was in town for the week. He sure has grown up, huh?"

Bella looked at Jasper strangely. "He's only a year younger than you, Jas."

"I know, I know. I just meant…never mind. I've got to go," he said suddenly, looking down at his cell. "I promised Ali I'd help her at the boutique for a few hours."

"When do you ever get any writing done?" Bella asked. Jasper wrote historical fiction novels and he was currently in the midst of writing a Civil War romance.

"Whenever, wherever. I have so many notes written on paper napkins, it's lucky I even know what I'm writing anymore."

"Don't you have some kind of deadline?"

"It'll get done," Jasper reassured her. "When have I ever missed a deadline?"

"Yeah, yeah," Bella said. "Go help out your woman. I'll see you later."

"You're not working tomorrow, right? You're taking Emmalie to the zoo?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, so don't worry about meeting up to walk me."

"All right." He swooped down to kiss her cheek. "See you around, baby girl."

* * *

Tuesdays were generally slow days so Bella worked by herself. She was busy restocking her shelves when she heard the bell above the door ring. "I'll be right there," she called, leaving the open box in the aisle and making her way to the front. She felt herself smile involuntarily when she saw who her customer was.

"Back again?"

Edward looked guilty but he offered her a dazzling smile.

"Isn't your family supposed to be entertaining you on your visit?"

"Rose and Emmett are both busy today. And my parents aren't coming into the city until this weekend for Emmalie's birthday so I was just going to walk around the city, but somehow I just ended up back here."

Bella offered him a gentle smile. "Want to help me restock my bookshelves?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Edward rewarded her with a gorgeous laugh.

"Lead the way."

Bella took Edward back to the sci-fi section where she was currently working. "So, it's pretty easy. We just stock alphabetically by author's last name and then titles alphabetically as well."

Edward nodded his head. "Sounds easy enough."

"Just don't mess it up," Bella warned. "Or I'll have to fire you."

Edward laughed again. "Am I getting paid for this?"

Bella reached into the box by her side and drew out a stack of books for Edward to stock. "How about you get paid with the pleasure of my company?" she joked.

Edward picked up the first book and looked at the cover contemplatively before placing it on the bookshelf. He glanced at her sideways and his lips tilted upwards in a half-smile. Bella's heart thrummed anxiously in her chest. "Sounds like I'm going to be a rich man," he replied quietly, working quickly to shelve the books.

Bella blushed, ducking her head in embarrassment. But she smiled, pleased by his words and she caught Edward's smile widen out of the corner of her eye.

They worked quietly for twenty minutes, both working on their separate stacks of books. Then Edward finally said, "I'm done," and looked at her for his next assignment.

"There's plenty more boxes where those came from. I need to restock with children's section next," she admitted.

Edward pursed his lips. "More unicorns and fairy princesses?"

Bella shoved him gently as she got up, wincing from kneeling on her knees for so long. "C'mon, Sir Edward, won't you help a damsel in distress?"

He bowed, grabbing her hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles. "I can never turn down a damsel in distress," he replied with a wink.

Bella swallowed heavily, butterflies fluttering rampantly in her stomach. She looked at Edward who was leaning back against a bookshelf watching her with a contented smile on his face.

"I'm glad to see you've been taking my advice," he mentioned casually as Bella motioned for him to follow her to the back room.

Bella turned her head to look at Edward curiously. "You're smiling more," he clarified.

"I think a lot of people are happy to see me following your advice," Bella admitted.

"Yeah," Edward breathed out. "Rosalie filled me in on um…your break-up." He winced. "I'm sorry if you didn't want me to know, but she felt that maybe she should have…prepared me?"

"It's okay." Bella sighed. Rosalie had always been one of those girls who thought honesty was the best policy, in any case. She always left her thoughts unfiltered; she said that if people couldn't handle what she was really thinking, then they weren't worth being friends with in the first place. She should have expected as much from Rosalie, who took protecting her family very seriously. "I've been in a pretty bad place lately…I haven't been very fair to anyone."

She stopped walking when she felt Edward pull back on her arm. He tugged her to him and wrapped her in a hug. "Is this okay?" he mumbled against her hair. She nodded, fisting her hands in the back of his shirt. "I'm _sorry_ that Jacob hurt you so badly, Bella. When I saw you guys together in high school…I was jealous that you seemed to have found someone to be with." Bella heard and felt him take a deep breath before he continued. "You never deserved that and he's an idiot for letting someone like you go. You deserve the world."

"Lately I've been thinking about how naïve I had been about this," she whispered. Edward didn't say anything except to tighten his hold on her. She wondered if he had even heard her.

"You were in love, Bella. You didn't know any better."

Bella pushed Edward away angrily. "Of course I should have known better! I should have seen the signs…the late nights at the office, the weekend business trips…he was just an _assistant_. He wasn't needed for any of those things. But I was too blinded by my love for him to see that everything he had ever told me was a stupid _lie_."

"Hey, Bella, come on…" Edward coaxed her back into his arms. "I don't think everything he told you was a lie…He loved you, too. I _saw _it in high school. But you guys got older and maybe your lives were taking you in different directions. Maybe fate is trying to tell you that you weren't supposed to be with Jacob. That maybe you were supposed to be with someone else."

"Yeah, well, maybe fate should've made it hurt a little less," Bella sniffled.

Edward smiled down at her gently, tangling his fingers in her hair as he directed her head to rest on his shoulder. "Don't we always learn the hardest lessons from the actions that hurt us the most?" he asked.

"It sucks," Bella muttered. Edward chuckled.

"That it does," he agreed, sighing. "That it does."

After restocking all the shelves, Bella and Edward collapsed in two of the chairs in the children's section. Bella got up occasionally when she heard the bell ringing, indicating a customer had entered the store, but she always made her way back to Edward.

They caught up with each other's lives and reminisced about high school. Bella talked enthusiastically about her bookshop and she loved the way Edward's eyes lit up every time she smiled or laughed. She found out that Edward had been applying for jobs in the Seattle area now that he was done with his residency. He loved his current job at a small family clinic just outside of Chicago where he was the pediatrician on staff, but he missed his family and being able to see them often.

They talked about their shared interests, and Bella was surprised to find that they had similar tastes in music and movies.

"I didn't take you for a classical music type guy," she mused.

"What, did you think I shared my brother's love for rap?"

Remembering Edward from high school and spending the past few hours talking to him, Bella knew for certain that rap was definitely not the type of music he would listen to.

"I just think it's funny that you love Debussey _and _Kings of Leon."

"Variety is good!" he defended himself.

Bella laughed, and they spent the next forty minutes changing rapidly between topics. Spending time with Edward felt right, natural. She didn't think she would ever stop learning new things about him every time he opened his mouth. He would always make some smart remark or just a little addendum to something she had said and she would see him in a brand new light, every time. It kept her on her toes, engaged in conversation, and she couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun getting to know someone.

She yelped when she happened to look down at her watch. "It's closing time!" she exclaimed, jumping up from her seat.

Edward blinked lazily, hauling himself out of his chair and stretching. Bella's breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of a delicious sliver of skin when his tee shirt rode above his jeans. She blushed when she looked up and saw Edward had caught her looking. He simply winked and ushered her up to the front of the store.

"So…" he started as Bella started finalizing her sales for the day. "I had fun today."

He was scratching the back of his head nervously and looking at her so tenderly that Bella had to stop what she was doing and steady herself before she found herself melting into a pile of goo. She was surprised. She never felt this attracted to Edward in high school, but time had definitely been good to the youngest Cullen son and she was no longer attached to Jacob. So she felt justified in thinking he was extremely good lucking and surprisingly sweet but hilarious. He didn't have the same crude sense of humor as Emmett, but throughout the day he was often times sarcastic and witty.

"I did too," Bella enthused, finally regaining her sense of balance and finishing up her bookkeeping work. She put everything away and turned the lights off, leaving only the security lights on as they walked together to lock up the door. "We should have hung out more in high school. I never realized how much in common we had," she admitted.

"You were always busy with Jacob," Edward reminded her softly. She frowned, but realized it was true. If she wasn't at home with Jasper and usually Emmett, she was always with Jacob. She was lucky she hadn't totally cut herself off from everyone, or she would have been completely alone when Jacob broke things off with her.

"I hate thinking about how much I must have missed out on," she said sadly.

"Hey," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "It doesn't do well to dwell on the past. You can't change anything. All you can do now is learn from your mistakes and create the best future for yourself."

"I should have gone to you for advice instead of your brother. You're so much wiser."

"And more handsome," Edward added with a firm nod.

"Definitely more handsome," Bella agreed with a smirk. "Hey, um…" She looked up at him and rocked back on her heels, suddenly nervous. "I know that I said tomorrow was going to be an Auntie Bella-and-Emmalie day, but I think maybe Emmalie would love to show her Uncle Edward the best parts of the Woodland Park Zoo."

Edward looked at her incredulously and Bella was afraid she had overstepped some sort of boundary. But then Edward beamed and pulled her in for a tight hug. "Really?" he asked excitedly. "I love the zoo! I was going to ask if maybe I could tag along so I could spend some more time with Emmalie, but I didn't want to intrude on your girls' day."

Bella giggled at his enthusiasm. "Well, you can only come if you promise to get a mani and pedi with us," she replied sternly.

Edward kissed her forehead and sighed contentedly. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

They exchanged cell numbers and Bella said she'd be by Em and Rose's house around 9 the next morning.

"Sounds good. Until then…" Edward said, and kissed her knuckles again.

Bella inwardly swooned. But she narrowed her eyes at him and wagged a finger. "Keep those smooth moves to yourself, mister."

It was too soon. Somehow she felt almost dirty. She had spent years with Jacob and she was ready to move on in a matter of months? It wasn't right. She discreetly texted Alice to see if she was willing to meet Bella at her apartment, desperately in need of advice from her best friend.

"Are you walking back to your apartment?" Edward asked in concern.

"I'll be okay," Bella insisted. "I always walk home."

Edward shook his head. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because I let you walk home by yourself."

"It's only six blocks, Edward. Seriously, it's not a big deal. It's a nice night out for a walk."

"Then let me at least walk with you, please? Don't make me go home to Em's house with a guilty conscience."

"But then you would have to walk all the way back here to get your car. It's stupid," Bella argued.

"It's only six blocks, Bella."

She growled in frustration but finally relented. "You're dangerous," she said.

"Thanks," Edward replied, looking pleased with himself.

They continued talking, sharing little tidbits with each other, until they stopped in front of her apartment building. "You don't need to walk me up a flight of stairs," she said, putting an end to his chivalry.

Edward pouted and Bella was momentarily stunned. She memorized the curve of his lip and she was surprised at her sudden urge to suck his plump lower lip into her mouth. "Don't do that!" she hissed.

He looked surprised by her outburst and then smug. "Why, Miss Swan, do I _dazzle_ you?"

Bella harrumphed and stomped her foot. Edward simply looked amused. "I will see you tomorrow morning. Thank you for walking me home. Good night," Bella said formally.

Edward just laughed and bid her goodnight before walking back in the direction of the bookshop. When she got to her apartment, Alice was already waiting with a glass of wine. "Spill, Swan," she demanded, curling up in Bella's favorite recliner.

"I think I like Edward Cullen," Bella blurted out.

"Emmett's younger brother?" Alice asked.

"He came into the bookshop yesterday looking for a few books for Emmalie's birthday. God, Al, he's just…so _gorgeous_." She sighed. "Then he came back today and helped me restock my shelves and we spent hours talking. There's just…something about him."

Alice looked deep in thought. "You're obviously attracted to him."

"Obviously," Bella retorted.

"You spent hours talking and it wasn't awkward or anything?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "That's the thing. I've never had such an instant connection with anyone before. I mean…Edward and I used to talk every once in a while in high school but we weren't really friends or anything. He mostly kept to himself, focused on his sports and studies. It's not like Emmett, where he was always around. Everything just flowed so smoothly and we have a lot in common."

"I don't see what the problem is then, Bella. You like him…if he came back to your store today to see you, then he most definitely is attracted to you. You guys have a lot in common. Why the 9-1-1 text?"

Bella threw herself down on the couch in frustration. "It's too soon!" she cried. "Won't people think I'm a slut or something?"

Alice choked on her wine. "Seriously, Bella? It's not like you're going to sex him up. You just want to go out on a date with him, get to know him in a more romantic manner. No one would think you were a slut. They would see a girl who had her heart broken moving on to someone better. Besides," Alice retorted, "it's not like Jacob even waited for you guys to break up before he moved on."

Alice's last comment made Bella's heart hurt and she began to cry. Then she screamed in frustration because she seemed so weak, like she just couldn't get over the hurt that Jacob had done that to her, which made her cry even more. Alice hurried over to the couch and hushed her. "I'm sorry, Bella. That was pretty insensitive of me. But it's _true_," she insisted. "The natural progression of things is for you to just move on and from the stories I've heard from Jas and Em, Edward's a really great guy. He'd do right by you, Bella, and you deserve that. Don't you think you deserve to be happy?"

Bella nodded and hiccupped, wiping her nose with the tissue Alice had pulled from the box on the side table.

"So," Alice said smiling, "when are you going to see him again?"

Bella coughed to clear her throat and swiped at her eyes again. "Tomorrow. He's going to the zoo with me and Emmalie. I told him he had to get a mani and pedi too. So you'll get to meet him." She choked out a laugh.

Alice rubbed her back soothingly. "He sounds perfect, Bells. I can't wait to see this hot hunk of meat. But seriously, take a chance on him. You might be pleasantly surprised."

"I've only had my heart crushed once already, what's the harm in getting it crushed twice?" she asked bitterly.

"Oh, come on, Edward doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would do that to you. Even if he didn't like you, which I think is ridiculous, by the way, since Jas and Em both said…" she trailed off awkwardly. "Never mind. Anyway, he would let you down easy. But that won't happen! I'm telling you, just…make a move tomorrow. Maybe not at the zoo with Emmalie as your witness," she added as an afterthought.

Bella snorted. "Thanks for your sage advice, Al."

"That's what best friends are for!"

* * *

Bella growled in frustration, tossing another rejected shirt into the growing pile at her feet.

"It's not a date," she groaned. "Why am I making this such a big deal? Who cares what I wear?" Shaking her head, she grabbed the first shirt she found and pulled on some denim shorts. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and grabbed her sneakers to wear for the zoo later. Edward had texted her ten minutes earlier letting her know he had gone out and grabbed some bagels for them and that he was waiting impatiently for nine o'clock.

Bella slid into her car and patted the steering wheel. "Sorry I haven't been driving you around, girl," she apologized. With her bookshop only six blocks away and the Seattle weather being unusually warm and dry lately, Bella had been walking to work and taking cabs to Emmett's bar downtown. She drove the familiar streets to Emmett and Rosalie's house and pulled into the driveway behind what appeared to be Edward's rental car.

A miniature version of Rosalie came bursting out of the front door, blonde ringlets flying behind her as she nearly tripping down the stairs and crashed into Bella's legs. "Auntie Bella, I'm sooo excited!" she screamed as Bella stumbled and then landed on her butt. Emmalie was oblivious as she jumped up and down and was yelling about the zoo and Uncle Ed and getting her nails painted a pretty purple.

"Easy tiger," came Edward's familiar velvet voice. He patted Emmalie on the head gently and she instantly quieted. He helped Bella up and she reveled in the feel of the soft skin of his palm sliding against hers.

"Thank you." Then turning to Emmalie she said, "Purple nail polish, huh? What color do you think we should paint Uncle Edward's nails?"

Edward paled slightly but put on a brave face as Emmalie looked up at him, tapping her finger on her chin. "Green!"

"Green is definitely a manly color," Bella agreed.

Rosalie greeted Bella with a kiss on the cheek. She looked tired so Bella was glad to take Emmalie off her hands for the day. "You should take a nap while we're gone, Ro. You look exhausted."

Rosalie just waved her concern off. But Emmalie, ever the big mouth, blurted out, "Mommy's been throw'n up in the mornin'. Eww!"

Bella's eyes bugged out and she looked at Edward who looked equally surprised. "Are you…?"

"Yes, yes, the cat is out of the bag. Thanks, Emma," Rosalie replied dryly. "We were going to announce it after her birthday."

Bella squealed and threw her arms around Rosalie, careful not to jostle her too much. "Congratulations! How far along are you?"

She pulled back and let Edward hug his sister-in-law. "About twelve weeks. The morning sickness is awful this time. Ready to be an uncle again?" Rose asked Edward.

"Of course!"

"Uncle Ed is lettin' me paint his nails _green!_" Emmalie said excitedly, interrupting the adult talk.

"Wow, baby, green? Are you sure that's a good color for Uncle Edward?" Rosalie asked, crouching down to eye level with her daughter.

"It'll match his eyes."

Bella and Rose giggled and Edward blushed. He picked her up and nuzzled her curls. "You're going to make me the prettiest uncle ever, Emmalie," he cooed.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Let's eat! I wanna go to the zoo!"

Edward carried her to the dining room where he had laid out a spread of fruit and bagels. "Thanks for getting breakfast," Bella said, sitting down and snagging a blueberry bagel and some pineapple squares.

"Yes, Edward, it was so nice of you to get breakfast," Rosalie said sweetly, giving Bella a pointed look. Bella was confused as she looked between the two. Edward merely glared at Rosalie but didn't say a word.

Twenty minutes later, Emmalie declared that she was done and ready to get her nails done. Rosalie insisted that she would clean up and that they better get a move on so they weren't late.

"Are you sure I can't drive?" Edward pleaded as they made their way outside. Emmalie had a hold on both their hands and swung herself down the stairs. She giggled wildly and ran to Bella's car.

"I'm the one who has the booster seat in my car," Bella replied smugly.

"I can drive your car! I'm a very safe driver," he assured her.

"You really hate sitting shotgun that much?"

Edward nodded solemnly. He grabbed her hands and unleashed the full power of his dazzling gaze on her. "Pretty please, Bella? I won't ask for anything else all day," he promised.

"Nothing. All day?"

Edward looked eager as she wavered on her decision. "I swear!"

"All right," she acquiesced as she handed over her car keys. Edward smiled gleefully. "Be careful with her!" she warned as he unlocked the doors and helped buckle Emmalie in.

When they arrived at Alice's split-level shop where the upper level was her boutique, and the lower level was a full-service salon, Bella had to grudgingly agree that Edward was an excellent driver. Alice greeted them with her normal enthusiasm and gave Bella a thumbs up behind Edward's back. Bella rolled her eyes.

"So, Tanya is going to be doing your nails, Emmalie," Alice said as they made their way downstairs. "And Kate will do yours, Bella."

"I thought you were doing my nails?" Bella asked, confused.

Alice grinned wickedly. "I'm going to do Edward's!"

Emmalie tugged on the hem of Alice's shirt. "Uncle Ed wants green nails, Ali!"

"Oh yeah? Well, we'll see what I can do," Alice said. Bella was worried by the evil glint in Alice's eyes.

While she had her feet soaked and scrubbed, her nails filed and shaped, Bella kept shooting Alice warning glances, which Alice ignored. Her continuous conversation with Edward and his occasional blushes made Bella nervous.

Forty-five minutes later, Bella had smooth hands and feet with a pale pink polish on her nails. As she said earlier, Emmalie had bright purple nails.

"Ali," she whined when she caught a glance at Edward's hands, "I said _green!_"

Alice was nice enough to not paint Edward's nails for him. "I ran out of green nail polish," she lied expertly. "But your uncle has such pretty hands and feet now, doesn't he?"

Emmalie pursed her lips but nodded reluctantly. "Daddy always says Uncle Ed is pretty like a girl."

Alice cackled loudly. "All right, Emmalie, are you ready to go the zoo?" Bella asked, trying to save Edward from further embarrassment by his five-year-old niece.

If anything could have distracted her from the prettiness of her uncle, it was any talk about the zoo. "TIGERS!" she screamed excitedly, hopping up and down. "Uncle Ed, they're my most favorite animal. _Ever_," she declared.

"Okay, princess, let's go see the tigers!"

Once again, Emmalie slipped her tiny hands in both Bella and Edward's and pulled them up the stairs. Bella thanked Alice and told her she'd pay her back later as she waved goodbye.

Emmalie could barely contain her excitement when Edward finally parked the car. Bella made sure to switch out her flip-flops for her sneakers before she got out of the car and unbuckled Emmalie from her seat. She changed Emmalie's shoes before helping her out of the car and reached in to grab the backpack she had packed for the zoo. Edward met them on her side of the car, sliding his sunglasses down from their perch on his head. Bella almost pouted because she couldn't look at his brilliant green eyes anymore. He grabbed Emmalie's other hand and the three of them headed to the entrance, Emmalie babbling on the entire way.

"Look at the monkey!" Emmalie said in awe. Every exhibit was the same: Emmalie would excitedly announce what animal they were looking at and Bella would take a picture of the animal, sometimes sneaking in pictures of Edward and Emmalie.

They stopped for lunch around 1 and ate the sandwiches Bella had packed. Bella continued snapping pictures during lunch of Edward and Emmalie laughing together and Emmalie kissing Edward on the cheek. Every snapshot was precious and Bella's heart warmed at the fact that she got to share these moments with them. As they were packing up, Edward stole her camera and started taking candid shots of her.

"Stop," she said, ducking her head. Edward frowned, fiddling with the camera.

"Why? You keep sneaking pictures of me, it's only fair," he countered.

Bella huffed and tried to swipe her camera back but Edward was too quick. "Edward, please! I hate getting my picture taken. I'm not very photogenic!"

"Are you serious, Bella?" Edward stopped laughing. "When are you going to see how beautiful you are?"

Bella could feel the blush make its way up her neck to her face and she wished she had worn her hair down so she could hide her embarrassment. Edward's hands grasped both sides of her face so she was looking at him, her camera dangling from its string around his wrist. He had pulled his sunglasses up during lunch and his piercing green eyes were burning holes in hers. "You are stunning, Bella," he said, quietly, almost reverently, his thumbs brushing against her heated cheeks.

She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the feelings welling up inside her, at the emotions she saw in Edward's eyes. She was still afraid of moving too fast, of getting hurt again. Edward sighed and she felt his lips on her forehead. She leaned into him slightly and she could feel his lips curving up into a smile. "Let's finish the afternoon, hm?" he mumbled into her hair. She nodded and pulled away, looking down to see Emmalie beaming ecstatically.

"Will you carry me, Uncle Ed?" she asked innocently, holding her arms up.

Edward appeared confused but picked her up anyway. "I thought you liked holding mine and Auntie Bella's hands."

"I do!" she replied. "But if you carry me, now _you_ can hold hands!"

Edward looked at her in surprise but he was smiling. Bella's heart beat anxiously in her chest, wondering if he would hold her hand. She finished cleaning everything up, slipped the backpack back on and took their trash to throw it away. Edward had followed right behind her, Emmalie wrapped around his neck. She couldn't help but smile when she felt the warmth of his hand as his fingers entwined with hers.

Emmalie fell asleep somewhere between visiting the Temperate Forest and the family farm. "Do you want me to carry her?" Bella questioned, knowing Edward's arms must be getting tired.

He shook his head. "I've got her, I think I'm just going to switch arms though," he replied, wincing as he let go of Bella's hand and shifted Emmalie to his other side. "You ready to head home?" he asked with a yawn, reaching out for her hand again.

Bella nodded. Walking the zoo, especially in the mid-afternoon heat was exhausting and all Bella wanted to do was take a cool shower and go to bed. Her hair was sticking to the back of her neck and she pulled strands of wet hair away, sighing in relief. She had already put Emmalie's hair into a ponytail earlier in the afternoon and the girl wasn't sweating too much. They reached the car and Edward handed Emmalie to Bella while he started the car and the air conditioning. When she finally slid into the passenger seat, she sighed in relief.

"You okay?" Edward asked in concern. She nodded before turning in her seat to yank a bottle of water from the backpack. She took a few gulps and rested her head against the seat. She felt someone watching her and she slipped an eye open, finding Edward staring at her with wide eyes, unblinking eyes.

"Want some water?" she asked, shoving the bottle in his direction. He grabbed it and tipped his head back. Bella's mouth watered as she watched his Adam's apple bob with each swallow. He licked his wet lips afterwards and she nearly whimpered.

"Thanks," he murmured before putting the car into reverse and backing out of the parking spot. As he pulled the car out of the parking lot, Bella rested her hand on his thigh and they shared a small smile which didn't fade from Bella's face the entire ride home.

* * *

They exchanged texts throughout the rest of the week but Edward hadn't had the chance to stop by the bookshop again. Rosalie kept him busy with errands to prepare for Emmalie's birthday party. He sent her flirty texts with little smiley faces and winks that made her blush like a schoolgirl with a crush. Angela squealed when she heard about the zoo trip and the hand holding and she constantly fought Bella for her cell whenever it chimed with an incoming text message.

"I need to live vicariously through you," Angela argued when Bella slapped her hand away for the fifth time on Friday afternoon. Bella rolled her eyes and shoved her phone at Angela so she could read the latest text message.

**Counting down the minutes until I can see you again. **

Angela sighed, resting her head on the palm of her hand. "He's so dreamy." Bella giggled as she imagined Angela as a cartoon character with literal stars in her eyes.

"You should leave early tonight, Bella," Angela said suddenly. "Get some alone time with your man before your time is consumed by little devils tomorrow."

"First off, he's not my man…yet. Secondly, I don't want to leave you to close on a Friday night all by yourself."

"You've made me work weekends by myself for weeks. What's the difference?"

Bella frowned at the reminder of those alcohol-induced hazes that once were weekends. "I told myself I would stop doing that. Oh, and that I would give you a raise."

"Pay day's next week," she snickered. "Anyway, I don't mind. It's not like I have anything better to do."

Bella bit her lip and sent Edward a text, asking if he was free tonight or if Rosalie had taken him hostage. She almost immediately got a response.

**Sorry – Rose has commandeered my help to cook for the party.**

_:( Ang was going to let me escape early. Was hoping to see you…_

**Damn! I would love to see you but Rose scares me. See you tomorrow.**

Bella pouted. "Rose has stolen all his free time."

Angela patted her hand sympathetically. "Guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

* * *

Saturday dawned slightly overcast and Bella prayed the rain would hold off. She couldn't imagine having to corral all the girls inside, all hyped up on cake and ice cream. She grimaced at the thought. She showered and dressed quickly, grabbing an apple on her way out the door. She promised Rose she would be over early to help with last minute decorations and cooking.

Rose texted her as she was pulling out of her parking spot, asking if she could stop by the bakery and pick up Emmalie's cake because she was running late. Sighing at the delay in seeing Edward, she stopped at the bakery.

"Hi," she said as she entered the shop, "I'm here to pick up a cake. It should be under Rosalie Cullen's name."

The woman behind the counter pulled out a folder and flipped through the pages, pulling out a yellow sheet. "I'll be right back," she said before heading to the back with the sheet. She came back a few minutes later, empty-handed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "the cake isn't ready yet."

Bella fought back a scream of frustration. "Rosalie said the cake should've been done by 9 o'clock. What do you mean it isn't ready yet?"

"I'm sorry," the flustered woman said again, "the bakers were running late. It'll be ready in another hour. We'll give you a discount on the price since it wasn't ready at the time we said it would be."

She pulled out her cell and called Rose. "Are you almost here?" Rose was frantic and Bella could imagine her running around, pulling her hair yet.

"Rose, the cake isn't done yet."

It sounded like Rosalie had stopped breathing. "What do you mean the cake isn't finished yet?" she screeched. "It's 10 o'clock! It should've been ready an hour ago! I need you _here!_"

"They said they'd give you a discount but the cake won't be ready for another hour…do you want me to come over now and help you with whatever you need and then swing back to pick the cake up in an hour?"

Rosalie sighed heavily and Bella thought she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "No, no, that'll be such a wasted trip. Do you mind waiting around, in case they're done earlier? I'll have Edward help me and Carlisle and Esme should be arriving shortly. I can do this," she muttered to herself.

"You sure, Ro?"

"Yeah, yeah. You just make sure they give me a damn good discount. Stupid, unreliable bakers."

Bella hung up with Rosalie and sat down on a waiting bench. She wondered if a lot of people had to wait for their cakes from this bakery if they had benches lined up along the outer wall. Forty-five minutes later, the woman came back out again with an opened box, motioning for Bella to come up to the counter.

"Does it look okay?" she asked anxiously. Bella examined the cake carefully, ensuring that the frosting, colors and spelling matched up with what Rosalie had asked for. Finally nodding her approval, the woman closed the box and tied it shut, ringing up the cake. She gave Rosalie a 15% discount and Bella paid with cash. She asked for a receipt, knowing Rosalie would pay her back.

Cake finally in hand, Bella headed over to Rose and Emmett's place. Their driveway was full when she arrived – she recognized Carlisle's Mercedes – so she parked in front of the house. Rosalie threw the door open before she even set a foot down on the steps.

"Oh, thank god you're here," she exclaimed. "Does the cake look okay?" she asked fretfully.

"It's perfect," Bella reassured her. "I've got the receipt in my bag. I'll give it to you later. Let me just get this in the fridge so it doesn't melt."

"Thank you so much, Bella. Alice and Jasper will be here soon. The men are in the back setting up some tents and a slip-n-slide and Esme is doing some last minute baking. You can help wherever. I need to go get ready."

Bella went into the kitchen to put the cake away where she found Esme making chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches.

"Bella! It's so good to see you," Esme enthused, reaching over to give Bella a hug.

"How are you, Esme? Do you need any help?"

"I'm doing wonderful, dear. And yes, you can help. I'm just putting these sandwiches together. Then we have to get them in the freezer so they don't melt."

The women worked together putting the ice cream treats together, chattering about nothing in particular. The sliding door opened and Edward walked in, eyeing the cookies hungrily.

"Don't even think about it, Edward," Esme admonished, knowing her son better than he even knew himself.

"Shucks, ma," he said, leaning down to give her a kiss.

"Afternoon, Bella." Edward greeted her with a kiss on the forehead.

Esme looked at Bella with a look of delight on her face. She watched Edward head down the hall to the bathroom before she said, "So…Bella, sweetheart, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Bella pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shrugged. "There...isn't really anything to tell yet, Esme. Edward and I are just…seeing how things go. We both like each other, but we haven't really made a move towards making anything definite. Especially with him going back to Chicago on Monday. But I promise you'll be the first to know when something new develops."

Esme nodded. "It's been a long time since I've seen Edward this happy. I noticed an immediate change in him when I first saw him this morning but I couldn't have even begun to guess that you were the cause behind his happiness. But I am glad that it's you. After that whole Jacob fiasco, you deserve something good too. I hope my son can make you as happy as you make him, Bella," Esme said earnestly.

Bella hugged Esme tightly. "He already does," she assured her.

* * *

Later, after Emmalie had passed out on the living room floor from a sugar-coma and all of her little friends had gone home, the adults relaxed in the kitchen with some wine.

"Never again, babe," Emmett said, downing his wine in one gulp. "I don't care if Emma cries and begs, we are never having another party again."

Bella smiled, knowing that they would have another party next year, despite their protests now.

"Aren't you drinking, Rose?" Alice asked, taking a delicate sip from her own glass. "You deserve it after this party," she laughed.

Rosalie looked at Emmett, who had put his wine glass down and wrapped his massive paw around her hand. "Actually," he said, "Rose and I have an announcement."

Esme's eyes widened in understanding. "You're pregnant!" she screamed excitedly, throwing her arms around her son and daughter-in-law.

Rosalie nodded in confirmation and everyone crowded around the happy couple to congratulate them.

"Well, I guess I should mention that I asked Alice to marry me last night and she said yes," Jasper added sheepishly.

Bella's jaw fell open. "What the hell, Jas? You couldn't even tell your own sister you were proposing?" She hit him, hard.

"Ouch, baby girl," he said, rubbing his shoulder. "If you knew, Alice would've known something was up. You can't lie to save your life."

Bella pretended to be angry at his comment for a few minutes while everyone else congratulated them on their engagement.

"You're not mad at me, are you, baby girl?" Jasper asked, giving her his patented puppy-dog stare.

Bella melted. "Of course not, Jas. I'm so happy for you. You and Alice are perfect for each other." She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. "I'm so proud of you, big bro. And you!" she shrieked, throwing herself at Alice. "We're going to be sisters now!"

Alice laughed. "Silly, Bella, we've always been sisters. It's just going to be official now," she said, with a wink.

Finally they all settled down, aware of the sleeping six-year-old in the other room. Edward looked around nervously, running his hand through his hair. Bella wished she had the nerve to cross the room and lace her fingers with his to stop his nervous tic. "Edward, is everything all right?" she asked in concern. Everyone turned to stare at him and he blushed.

"Uh, since everyone's making announcements…" he paused and looked directly at Bella. She felt her heart skip a beat. "I got a job offer from Seattle Children's Hospital. I'm putting in my two weeks at Dr. Roush's office when I get back on Tuesday and then I'm moving permanently to Seattle."

Esme looked on the verge of tears as she pulled Edward down to kiss him. "Oh, my sweet, sweet boy, I am so happy for you!"

"Thanks, ma," Edward said. Carlisle shook his hand and congratulated him. Emmett whooped as he clapped Edward on the back.

"Welcome home, brother!" he exclaimed.

Alice and Jasper both hugged Edward and Alice offered to help Edward find a place to live, which he happily accepted. Bella held back, staring at Edward in disbelief. She had been afraid to hope for this, scared that she would get so excited about starting a relationship with this wonderful man that she would be heartbroken once again if he hadn't gotten a job in Seattle. Now that it was confirmed he was moving back to Washington, she had nothing to worry about. All the pieces had been put in place.

She still wasn't completely over Jacob. It wasn't something that could happen overnight, especially after she spent so much time mourning the end of their relationship. But she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Edward…he was going to be good for her. The man she had come to know had done nothing but make her smile and laugh more in the span of a week than she had in two months. As she told Esme earlier, he made her happy.

He stalked towards her now and she wasn't aware of anyone else in the room, only focusing on him and the brilliant smile that graced his perfectly imperfect face – his slightly crooked nose that he broke playing football sophomore year, the scar that ran from his bottom lip to his chin when Emmett pushed him off the swings when he was six and he fell onto concrete. He was beautiful. He kept searching her eyes for something as he reached out and like he had at the zoo, he placed his hands on her cheeks, holding her gaze.

"Isn't that what you wanted to hear, Bella?" he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Yes," she whispered back.

He looked at her then, so tenderly that Bella felt like crying, and then he was leaning down slowly, sliding his nose against hers. If she pushed herself up another half inch, she would be kissing him. But she waited, feeling the brush of his breath against her cheeks, the smell of wine on his tongue. Finally, _finally,_ he pressed his lips against hers and Bella whimpered, her fingers sliding up his back to clutch the hairs at the back of his neck tightly. Edward had his hands around her waist, squeezing and pushing her up against the counter. Bella's eyes fluttered open briefly, only to notice that everyone else had left the kitchen to give them some privacy, before she lost herself in the heat of his mouth and the softness of his touch.

Edward pulled back and rested his forehead on her shoulder, he was panting, every exhale like a light moist kiss on her collarbone. Bella shivered. He lifted his head, looking at her earnestly. "I will make you feel like the most precious woman on this earth, Bella Swan," he swore, sealing his promise with a sweet kiss.

Bella's eyes were bright and sparkling, her cheeks flushed and her hair wild from Edward's roaming hands. It had never felt like this with Jacob. There was never this wild desire, this static electricity that made her limbs tingle, that made her want _moremoremore_. She knew now that she had been wrong, thinking that Jacob was it for her. With Edward pressed against her, all hard, sinewy muscle against her soft flesh, she embraced the feeling of how perfect they fit together.

She smiled, giddy with happiness. "You already do," she said, her voice cracking. "All that hurt that Jacob put me through, all that heartache…it all led me to _you_."

Edward ran his fingers through her hair, looking at her like she was the light of his world. "You know," he said with a smirk, "I had the biggest crush on you in high school."

"No way," Bella said. "Seriously?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, it's why I never went with Emmett to your house. You made me so nervous. I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Pretty is definitely not the right word to describe you now." He kissed her eyelids, both her cheeks and then her nose. "Definitely beautiful, or maybe stunning, or gorgeous…" he trailed off as she silenced him with a kiss.

"But then you started dating Jacob, and I knew that I had let you slip through my fingers." He swallowed hard, looking pained at the memory.

"I knew it was fate when you walked into my bookshop," Bella murmured against his lips.

Edward hummed in agreement, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Bella loved how kissing Edward felt just as natural as breathing. She used her hands on his shoulders to push her up, trying to deepen the kiss.

She heard the sound of people walking back towards the kitchen and she pulled back, sighing. Edward took the opportunity to kiss her one more time…

"Eww," Emmalie shrieked. "They're kissing!"


End file.
